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Health Benefits of a Probiotic Drink like Kefir

Posted on 7th February 2015 | Leave a comment

Kefir – A Probiotic Dairy Composition

Kefir is a cultured dairy product, and is one of the richest probiotic foods on Earth. Asian and European folk medicines use this product to cure a wide range of illnesses and ailments. Fermented milk product from goat, cow or sheep milk, it is much like drinkable yoghurt. It is high in calcium, vitamin B12 and K2, magnesium, enzymes, folate, biotin, and especially, probiotics. Kefir nutritional value may vary, as per the animal, region and cultures. Kefir can be made not only from milk, but from water and coconut milk as well. Make probiotic drink, Kefir a regular part of your diet, and it will benefit you in several healthy ways:

  • Boosts your immunity

  • Helps in fighting some allergies

  • Builds bone density

  • Heals inflammatory bowel diseases

  • Improve digestion of lactose

  • Supports detoxification

water kefir grains

What should live water kefir grains look like ? Click on the pic to see a nice closeup.


Kefir has probiotic health benefits

Kefir grains can actually ferment milk in 24 hours, and may convert raw milk into a highly rich probiotic drink. Probiotic drink, Kefir proves to be a refreshing, naturally carbonated drink that has numerous medicinal benefits. Rich in Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus, Kefir also supplies sufficient amounts of beneficial yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The mixture of beneficial microbiota present in Kefir makes it one of the most nutritious probiotic drinks you can have.

  • Regular consumption of probiotic drink, Kefir can actually inhibit growth of breast cancer

  • Kefir has lactic acid bacteria, that can bind funguses and aflatoxins, thus preserve healthful genetic expression

  • If you are sick, you can skip antibiotics and drink Kefir instead. Researches have proves that probiotics work better than antibiotics to eliminate an infectious agent, and also alleviate the symptoms

  • Kefir is known to build bone density, and reduce risks of osteoporosis. Kefir increases absorption of magnesium and calcium in the body, in addition to other bone building minerals like phosphorus, vitamin K2 and vitamin D

  • Strains of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus in Kefir is highly helpful in treating IBS and IBD

  • Kefir is found to positively affect asthma and allergies too. Kefir works by suppressing IgE immunoglobulins, T-helper cells and interleukin-4 inflammatory markers, and may thus prevent asthma

So, if you are looking for a substitute of yoghurt that you can drink, then go for probiotic drink, Kefir. It is naturally sweet, slightly bubbly, mild and tangy in taste. It is much similar to yoghurt, but with much more nutritional value.

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Milk Kefir vs Yogurt

Posted on 12th December 2014 | Leave a comment

Difference between Kefir and Yogurt

Both yogurt and milk kefir are cultured milk products. Both the foods are good for health as they are rich in calcium, protein, vitamin B and potassium. They are a little sour in taste and have an identical tart. Both yogurt and milk kefir can be found in plain form and in different fruit flavors. The live kefir cultures used to produce both yogurt and milk kefir results in the breakdown of the milk sugar. This facilitates lactose digestion. Their primary difference lies in the types and numbers of beneficial bacteria contained in them.

Here are the chief differences between milk kefir and yogurt

  1. The consistency of milk kefir is much thinner than that of yogurt. It is usually obtained as a beverage. You can pour some milk kefir over a cereal, drink it or combine it with fruits to make smoothie. On the other hand, the consistency of yogurt is thicker and it cannot be drunk.
  1. Both yogurt and dairy kefir contains probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria and beneficial yeasts that are normally found in the intestine of humans. They restrict the growth of harmful bacteria which can cause diseases and also boosts the immune system of the body. Milk kefir contains three times the probiotics that are present in yogurt. When kefir is made, milk is generally fermented with a mixture of almost 20 various types of probiotic yeasts and bacteria. Since there is a higher probiotic count in milk kefir, it has more health benefits than yogurt. Your immune system will be boosted and you will stay healthy.
  1. The individuals who are totally lactose intolerant can tolerate milk kefir but they cannot tolerate yogurt. This is because the plenty of beneficial bacteria present in milk kefir would digest the lactose in the milk. Therefore the lactose that would be left in kefir is almost 1%. So lactose intolerant individuals can easily have milk kefir.
  1. Milk kefir contains plenty of beneficial yeasts such as Torula kefir and Saccharomyces kefir that eliminates the pathogenic yeasts from the body. They keep the intestine clean and healthy. These beneficial yeasts are not present in yogurt.
  1. Milk kefir is also easier to digest than yogurt because of the smaller curd size of kefir. This makes milk kefir a nutritious and ideal food for the elderly people, babies and people having chronic digestive disorders.
Kefir fermentation

Kefir is a fermented milk product similar to yogurt

Though yogurt is a more popular food, you must try milk kefir because of its plenty of health benefits. You will surely notice improvement in your digestive health. It is better to have yogurt and milk kefir in plain form than in fruit flavors.

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